Electric railway



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. DAPT.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

No. 276,569. Patented May 1,1883.

figure 1;

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. DAFT.

ELEGTRIG RAILWAY. No. 276,569. Patented May 1,1883.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC LEO DAFT, OF GBEENVILLE, NEE JERSEY.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 276,569, dated May 1, 1883.

Application filed September 13, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEO DAFT, a citizen of Great Britain, now residing at Greenville, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Railways, ofwhich the following is a full, true, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improved method of operating an electrical railway and an improved method of regulating the quantity of electricity which is sent out upon the same.

My improvement in the system of operating electric railways consists in an arrangement of mechanism whereby two engines may be operated simultaneously by electricity drawn from the same conductors, which has hitherto not been accomplished. In the method shown I have utilized the rails upon which the engines run as conveyers of the electric current; but I do not limit myself to this method, as it would be equally applicable to independent conductors.

In order to carry out my invention practically, I provide a suitable generator of electricity and connect the same with electrical co r ductors; Ithen provide two engines, having armatures of equal or substantially equal resistanoe, and by operating with low tension currents of great quantity I am enabled to operate two or more moving dynamos upon the sametrack simultaneously. In order to do this, of course sufticientelectricity must be supplied to operate all the engines simultaneously,whieh would involve a quantity much greater than is necessary in operating a single engine. This method of operation would occasion a great loss of power at the generator unless means are provided for decreasing the quantity of electricity in proportion to the less amount needed upon the rails. I have therefore provided a regulator which will automatically control the quantity of electricity sent to the rails without materially altering its intensity. In carrying this out I have likewise devised a new regulator.

My improved electric-railway system will be readily understood from the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 represents a general view of the system; Fig. 2, a detailed view of the regulator; Fig. 3, a view at right angles (No model.)

to that shown in Fig. 2 of theregulatorswitch or cylinder.

B represents the fixed dynamo, properly connected to the rails O 0. Upon these rails a varying number of engines are to be operated. In Fig. 4 two locomotive railway-engines are shown upon the rails, which engines should have in their operation substantially equal internal resistance; butit will be understood that a greater nu niber of engines may'run upon said railswithout interfering with the principle of my apparatus. tially the same resistance in their armatures. The dynamo B is so arranged as to supply a suffieient quantity of electricity to operate all the engines simultaneously, and by means of thelow-tensionquantity current supplied thereby and equal resistance in the engines I am enabled to operate in the manner previously described. by an independent chargingmachine, A A, although this is not necessary in all cases, as will be hereinafter explained. It will be obvious that the quantity of electricity passing through the field-magnets of B B will determine the quantity of electricity sent out upon the rails. By varying the quantity passing through the field-magnets B B, I vary therefore the quantity sent to the rails. I vary the quantity of electricity passing through the field-magnets B B by the regulator shown at I), and in detail at Figs. 2 and 3, and by means of the peculiar winding of the charging-machine A. This machine is provided with a number of superposed connected coils. As shown, five are employed; but this number may be varied. The inner coil is connected at one end to the line, and the other end of this and of each succeeding coil is connected with one of the five wires 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, going to corresponding springs on the regulator-cylinder. This regulator cylinder or switch consistsof a cylindrical brass plate having an angularedge, as shown in Fig. 3,which is adjacent to an insulating-surface. The springs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 are so arranged that as the cylinder is rotated by the regulator-magnet they will successively ride upon or bear against the insulating-surface, thereby throwing the coils connected therewith successively into circuit. Fig. 3 represents a view of this cylindrical These engines have substan As shown, my dynamo is operated D. As shown, the spring rests upon the iiisnlating material. As the cylinderis rotated, it is apparent that the springs 2, 3, at, and 5 will be in succession brought upon the insulating material, these springs being connected each with an independent coil surrounding the charging-magnet. The rotation of this cylindrical switch is accomplished by the axial magnet shown in detail in Fig. 2. The coil of this axial magnet D is in the circuit leading to the rails. The axial core is shown at F supported by a spring, which may be made adjustable, if desired. The axial magnetF is contained in the casing E, which limits its upward movement. The axial magnet 1 is connected with the llllli-illlti-IGVBI system I) a, c d, and with the cylinder-switch N. Now, it will be obvious that an increased quantity of electricity flowing through the coil D will lower the lever to an'drotate the switch N, thereby bringing the springs 2, 3, at, and 5 in succession upon theinsulating-surface. The circuits of the chargingmachine are plainly shownnamely, through the charging-machine A, the field-magnet cores B B, the wire f to the cylinder-switch, thenceby the wires 1, 2, 3, 4-, and 5 to its own coils. A suitable spring or springs, E, are provided for maintaining a constant connection with the metallic surface of the cylinder-switch. The circuits of the dynamo pass from its armature through the coil 1) and the rails.

The operation of my apparatus can now be readily understood. The apparatus, being in the position shown in the drawings, is adapted to supply electricity, suppose, to one engine. 1t now an additional engine should run upon the same section of track, the resistance between the rails would thereby be reduced accordingto the wellknown law, thus decreasing the resistance of the circuit passing through the coil D and increasing the flow of electricity therethrough. By this operation the magnetic field is intensified, and the axial armature F drawn down into the coil, compressing the spring G. The amount which the axial magnet F is drawn into the coil will be determined by the resistance upon the track, the less the resistance the more will the core be drawn down, and the drawing down of this core will continually increase the quantity of elecricity going to the track. It is obvious that my apparatus can be readily applied to a self-charging machine as well as to one hav switch from the side of the regulatorniagnet 1 ing an independent charger. In this case the coils of the magnets B should be wound separate, as in the case of the magnets A, and these separate coils should be connected, as before, to the springs 1,2,3, 4, and 5. The rest of the connections will be apparent to any electrician.

By my improvement I am enabled always to supply to the rails the exact amount of electricity required, and I am also enabled to operate a large number of trains simultaneously without loss of power.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a stationary dynamo constructed to supply suliicient electricity to drive two or more motors at the desired speed, two rails or conductors connected therewith and conveying the electricity generated thereby, and two or more electric locomotive-engines having substantially the same internal resistance when in operation, and receiving the electricity to drive them from said rails or conductors in their passage over or past said rails or conductors, and regulatingmechanism which causes substantially the same energy to be developed in each engine-motor, whether one or more are running on the same section of track, substantially as described. V

2. The combination of a stationary dynamo, conveying rails or conductors, two or more 10- comotive-engines operated from said conduct ors or rails and adapted to derive electricity from them in their passage over or past said conductors or rails, and an automatic switch, said single switch being connected to two or more sections of the exciting-magnet of the dynamo, and being" constructed to vary the quantity of electricity supplied to the rails in accordance with the demands made therefrom, therebyenabling equality of energy to be maintained in two or more electric railway-motors without loss of energy by forcing the current- .through an inoperative resistance, substantially as described.

3. The electric switch described, which consists of thejaxial magnet F, the coil l), and the rotating cylinder-switch N, having the diagonal contact-plate f, and springs bearing thereupon, and the connections shown for operating the same, substantially as described.

Witnesses:

GEO. H. Evans, WM. A. loLLoox. 

